Autonomous vehicle laws

June 2021

State	What type of driving automation on public roads does the law/provision permit?	Require an operator to be licensed?	Require an operator to be in the vehicle?	Require liability insurance?
		Does the driving automation law/provision...
Alabama	deployment — commercial motor vehicles only	no	no	yes; $2,000,000
Arizona	deployment	yes	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 1}	yes
Arkansas	deployment - commercial purposes only (effective 08/01/21)	yes (effective 08/01/21)	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 2}	yes^{Footnote 3} (effective 08/01/21)
California	deployment	not addressed	no	yes; $5,000,000
Colorado	deployment	no	not addressed	no
Connecticut	testing	yes	yes	yes; $5,000,000
District of Columbia	deployment	yes	yes	no
Florida	deployment	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 4}	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 5}	yes
Georgia	deployment	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 6}	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 7}	yes^{Footnote 8}
Hawaii	testing	not addressed	yes	not addressed
Illinois	testing	yes	yes	yes
Iowa	deployment	yes	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 9}	yes
Louisiana	deployment — commercial motor vehicles only	no	no	yes; $2,000,000
Maine	testing	not addressed	not addressed	yes
Massachusetts	testing	no	yes	no
Michigan	depends on vehicle^{Footnote 10}	yes	no	yes
Nebraska	deployment	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 11}	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 12}	yes
Nevada	deployment	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 13}	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 14}	yes^{Footnote 15}
New Hampshire	deployment	yes^{Footnote 16}	yes, except for testing^{Footnote 17}	yes; $5,000,000^{Footnote 18}
New Mexico	testing (effective 07/01/22)	not addressed	not addressed	not addressed
New York	testing	yes	yes	yes; $5,000,000
North Carolina	deployment	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 19}	no	yes
North Dakota	deployment	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 20}	depends on level of vehicle automation^{Footnote 21}	yes
Ohio	testing	yes	no	yes
Oklahoma	testing	not addressed	not addressed	not addressed
Pennsylvania	depends on vehicle^{Footnote 22}	depends on vehicle^{Footnote 23}	depends on vehicle^{Footnote 24}	no
Tennessee	deployment	no	no	yes; $5,000,000
Texas	deployment	no	no	yes
Utah	deployment	yes	no	yes
Vermont	testing	yes	yes	yes; $5,000,000
Virginia	testing	not addressed	not addressed	no
Washington	testing	depends on whether operator present in vehicle	no	yes; $5,000,000

Footnotes

^{Footnote 1} Arizona does not require the operator to be in a "fully autonomous vehicle" if the vehicle can achieve "a minimal risk condition" in the event of a failure and if the operator certifies that the "fully autonomous vehicle" can meet applicable laws. ↩
^{Footnote 2} Arkansas does not require a steering wheel in a "fully autonomous vehicle," which must be "capable of achieving a minimal risk condition” in the event of a failure. ↩
^{Footnote 3} Arkansas requires an "autonomous vehicle program" to comply with "the minimum liability insurance coverage requirements" under 49 C.F.R. § 387.9 as that section existed on January 1, 2021. ↩
^{Footnote 4} Florida does not require a licensed operator for a "fully autonomous vehicle". ↩
^{Footnote 5} Florida does not require the operator to be in a "fully autonomous vehicle" or an autonomous vehicle equipped with a "teleoperation system" when it is engaged ↩
^{Footnote 6} Georgia does not require a licensed operator for a "fully autonomous vehicle" when the "automated driving system" is engaged. ↩
^{Footnote 7} Georgia does not require the operator to be in a "fully autonomous vehicle" when the "automated driving system" is engaged. ↩
^{Footnote 8} In Georgia, the amount of liability insurance must be equivalent to 250 percent of what is required under existing insurance law until December 31, 2019. On and after January 1, 2020, the amout of liability insurance must be equivalent to the minimum required under existing insurance law. ↩
^{Footnote 9} Iowa does not require the operator to be in a "driverless-capable vehicle" if the vehicle can achieve "a minimal risk condition" in the event of a failure. ↩
^{Footnote 10} Michigan authorizes testing of any "automated motor vehicle" and deployment of "on-demand automated motor vehicle networks." ↩
^{Footnote 11} Nebraska requires a licensed operator for "automated-driving-system-equipped vehicle" but does not require an operator for a "driverless-capable vehicle" if the vehicle can achieve "a minimal risk condition" in the event of a failure. ↩
^{Footnote 12} Nebraska does not require the operator to be in a "driverless-capable vehicle" if the vehicle can achieve "a minimal risk condition" in the event of a failure. ↩
^{Footnote 13} Nevada does not require a licensed operator for a "fully autonomous vehicle" if the vehicle can achieve "a minimal risk condition" in the event of a failure. ↩
^{Footnote 14} Nevada does not require the operator to be in a "fully autonomous vehicle" if the vehicle can achieve "a minimal risk condition" in the event of a failure. ↩
^{Footnote 15} In Nevada, a company or person seeking to test must have $5,000,000 of liability insurance; an "autonomous vehicle network company" must have $1,500,000. ↩
^{Footnote 16} New Hampshire requires a licensed operator for an "ADS-equipped vehicle" until July 1, 2021. ↩
^{Footnote 17} New Hampshire does not require the operator to be in the "ADS-equipped vehicle" if the vehicle is being operated as part of an "automated vehicle testing pilot program." Effective July 1, 2021, New Hampshire will not require the operator to be in any "ADS-equipped vehicle." ↩
^{Footnote 18} New Hampshire requires $5,000,000 in the form of an insurance policy, bond, or other financial instrument for a "testing entity." Effective July 1, 2021, when New Hampshire authorizes deployment of "driverless capable vehicles" without a "conventional human driver," New Hampshire requires an amount of insurance equivalent to the minimum required under existing insurance law. ↩
^{Footnote 19} North Carolina does not require the operator to be licensed to operate a "fully autonomous vehicle" when the "automated driving system" is engaged. ↩
^{Footnote 20} North Dakota does not require a licensed operator for an “autonomous vehicle” when “the automated driving system is completing the entire dynamic driving task” if the vehicle can achieve "a minimal risk condition" in the event of a failure. ↩
^{Footnote 21} North Dakota does not require an operator to be in an "autonomous vehicle with automated driving systems engaged" if the vehicle can achieve "a minimal risk condition" in the event of a failure. ↩
^{Footnote 22} The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) voluntary guidance authorizes testing of "highly automated vehicles." Pennsylvania law authorizes deployment of "highly automated work zone vehicles," effective April 22, 2019. ↩
^{Footnote 23} PennDOT voluntary guidance requires a licensed operator to test "highly automated vehicles," but Pennsylvania law does not address operator licensing for "highly automated work zone vehicles." ↩
^{Footnote 24} PennDOT voluntary guidance requires an operator in the vehicle to test "highly automated vehicles," but Pennsylvania law does not require an operator in "highly automated work zone vehicles." ↩